by KJ Dahlen
Then she’d asked her uncle for a new laptop when he was in one of his rare good moods. She told him she liked computer games and her first one was too old and wouldn’t load right. He had Anslem bring her one the next day.
She had known not to make huge deal of it.
In truth, she had more than discovered the internet. All the hours she was supposed to be watching TV, playing games. painting or reading as he had supplied her with lots of books. Instead, she was on the net...learning all she could. It was to learn about the world that she had never seen with her own eyes when she first started, then it became more. She lived through it. All the lives on the net, all the articles, the history. Then once she got really good, she delved into things her uncle had mentioned, names he had said. Stories he had told her.
Her uncle didn’t seem to care that she liked computers. He said she was old enough to have one. It had surprised her to no end. Didn’t he know that the world was on that laptop?
So to be careful, it was always out of his sight, she never let him see her on it. She never let on that it was anything important at all. In fact, she never left it out for him to even be reminded of it. Not after all the times he had destroyed everything else she had.
Once it was a guitar, he had bought for her when it had been her nineteenth birthday. An acoustic guitar. To offset her PC time spent, she had learned to play it and chose a Russian song she played along with on the laptop. All the while, she was hoping to soften him up enough to allow her to actually go outside, just down the steps and out on the sidewalk. To be outside and breathe the air. Nothing more than that. Yes, it had been a leap but she just couldn’t allow herself to give up.
Finally, when she felt skilled enough with the chords and the notes, she had been playing the song for him when he’d suddenly looked stricken. Then he grabbed it and broke it into kindling. He never said a word and he did not hit her that night, as he had actually been sober. He’d left the apartment without a word.
So every day, when he was gone, she had gotten better on the net. Until she got her new laptop and with the speed it had and the model, she ventured into things she felt ready for. She had studied all the side articles, spoken to hackers off and on in the secret chatrooms. Then when hours turned into days and days into weeks then months, she evolved in skill until there was no bot code she couldn’t break, no site she couldn’t hack into, no place she couldn’t go. No virus she couldn’t invent or use.
She could do almost anything with her skills. She knew that somehow it would be her final ticket to freedom. Her way out. Zeta had plans. She knew right where her mother was after many, many searches a trades with other hackers to get information.
Finally, after months of work, Zeta had spoken to her mother on the net. Just once and only once.
Her mother told her in that one conversation that they had moved here to the United States just before Zeta was born. They’d hoped to hide from Boris when he got out. They had even changed their names. Her father was wealthy in his own right. So they had lived well and under new names.
Then one night, some car had driven them off the road. Her father was killed instantly, her mother had landed in the hospital. Then, as per instructions her father had entrusted to some men in case of his death, they took her mother into hiding. But before they could get to Zeta, Boris had already taken her.
Zeta had cried when her mother had typed this to her in the chatroom she had set up for them. To think that her life would have been different if Boris had waited but another hour to take her.
One maybe two hours had changed the course of her life. It had doomed her to having no childhood really. No friends, no schooling, no life outside of these four walls.
She also refused to tell her mother anything about how horrible it was living with him. She knew it would only do harm to say so. Her mother couldn’t take it all away. Her mother couldn’t change what had already been. She refused to get her mom involved in any way. Lest Boris take that away from her too. Like he did with everything else. So Zelda didn’t know where she was at all. It would be safer that way.
One day, Zeta would see her. She clung to this like a small ball of light in the darkest corner of the world.
Then her uncle had told her the full story one night as he had slurred his words. This story was the other side of it.
It was about the man he intended to kill. The man he’d spoken about often. It had happened in Russia. He blamed this man for losing Zelda to his own brother. They were young at the time in their early twenty’s maybe and somehow, this man had caught him doing something that he said wasn’t allowed to be doing by some group big in that country. The Bratva. Later on, she looked that up and learned as much as she could about them, because if they were an enemy of Boris... they could be an asset to her or something maybe?
Boris outright told her in his drunken tale that he in fact, had done the deed and was guilty. Boris went to prison. Then while there, his brother had married the woman Boris had planned to marry. It was a betrayal that had changed his life and apparently had caused his bitterness, his drinking, even his life of crime here in America.
She had gathered all this really not from just that one story but many, many ravings as he drank almost every night and then never seemed to remember any of the tellings the next day.
Not that Zeta would ever mention them or anything he had EVER said. No, at sixteen, she had made that mistake when she’d asked about something he had told her when he was drunk and he had cleared her room of all that he had given her. For days, she had no books, no TV, no paints, no music. However, he had forgotten about the laptop as she had hidden that well.
She had been trying to come up with some plan to escape. This had been her focus for the last several years in fact, but every plan had been foiled by some obstacle and by Anslem, her warden. But the internet never gave her this in reality it seemed for the longest time, no matter what she’d learned from it. Unless she could get the actual true to life tools to get the door off the hinges, and then something to knock Anslem out.
No, she had no job. But she had money. She had made it by doing net jobs. Yes, it was illegal and it was hacking but she only did harmless stuff for people. Not anything to harm another person or place. She had been offered a lot of money for those types of jobs and she would refuse. She had a lot now, put away. Once she escaped, she could survive and hide herself well.
So yes, she now had means, money in a debit card that she had signed up for. Then when they wanted to send the card itself, she asked if she could just activate it on the net as she was blind and couldn’t go out and use it. The lie had worked. So Boris never knew about it, as she had never had mail come to the apartment. That would have ruined everything and it would have gotten her laptop taken away.
Then one night about a month ago, Boris had come home a happy drunk, telling her all about his plan to finally end Yuri. The man who had ruined his life.
She’d felt so desperate to find this Yuri, but there was no way that she could really.
Then finally, he’d told her a few days later, that he had partnered up with a very smart man and that was how he would finally get it done.
She realized that whoever this partner was, he was the one behind the plan. When he laid it all out to her in drunken bragging, Zeta even had to admit that for Boris, it had been genius. Though it wasn’t his idea, she knew this.
They would kill for each other. No alibi needed, no tracing it back. Only she hadn’t known the name of the other victim to be.
Guilt wracked her. How could she just sit here and let this man, Yuri be killed when all he did back then in Russia was the right thing? He wasn’t a thug, murderer or anything like that. But she didn’t know his last name. This upcoming killing of Yuri and the other man had been haunting her badly. She just had to stop it from happening.
Finally, just this week, she felt like she was finally ready to get what she had been yearning for, she was about to implement her escape
. She had waited 13 years to do it. Not counting the three times, she had been caught.
She had already done her steps. The stolen screwdriver that a repair man had left behind. No... she would never tell anyone about her captivity, so she never told anything to this repairman as she had done that once and that man was dead now, he hadn’t even gotten out of the neighborhood before Anslem had him and took him away somewhere. She had never gotten over that. It haunted her still.
Plus, the beating she had gotten was a define reminder to never tell a soul. It took her a week to heal after Anslem killed the man she told about being a prisoner here. A whole week to be able to walk straight, even across the room.
Well actually, the finding of the screwdriver for the door hinges was her stealing it from the utility belt the repairman wore. It was at his back and she’d easily slipped it out then hid it. This time, it was a crosshead and not a flat one. Two months ago, she’d thought she’d gotten one from the cable guy and it hadn’t worked. Plus, it had made too much noise and was like hacking away at the screw she had worked on.
The next part was even trickier as, she had learned a recipe on the net to induce a sleep. It was in trade on the dark net for a favor she had done for another hacker. It would be sleep for Anslem so he couldn’t catch her or follow her.
Then Boris had been nearly weeping with happiness last night and had said that Yuri Anatoly was scheduled to die and that Boris’ life would finally be all better.
She had a full name and she’d instantly set about finding him, but since he was Bratva, she knew to be careful. She also didn’t know how to go about actually warning him. She’d better think fast. She had to find a way and soon.
While at the same time, Zeta wanted to leave, it was like a pain in her head in her body, in her soul. A throbbing sense of lack. Freedom. She wanted it so badly she could taste it....
Yet again...she wasn’t ready, she had one more thing she was waiting to get. One last thing before real freedom could happen.
Zeta needed the name of the other man. The one that Boris’ partner wanted dead. The one that Boris would have killed by his men. She couldn’t have another death on her conscience. What good would freedom do her if her nightmares of people who were killed on her account or these two men whom she could maybe help to save... followed her for the rest of her days?
Then, it finally happened. Tonight.
The name came from Boris’s puffy ugly, slurring lips...
Deke Tory.
Chapter Six
Zipper had been at it for a full day. He’d hunted every site, every secret chat room. Any and all places where he found any reference to Manhattan Girl. It was frustrating and infuriating. The minute he thought he’d found the hacker, they would move or had erased all signs that MG had even been there.
Then just a half hour ago, he had finally gotten a bead on her. It was from a hacker he knew, Sc-Fi. He had done a couple of trades with the guy before. Sci-Fi told him that she or he was the best he’d ever seen. Did things that made him look like a toddler playing with an Ipad.
Zipper would agree with this assessment since the person had broken through his 5 layer firewall. He pleaded with Sci-Fi to let him know instantly if and when Manhattan Girl ever showed up. The man agreed with a favor stipulated of course.
So here he was and he had no time left really, as Deke was getting restless and threatening to go out just to spite the fucker who wanted him dead. They couldn’t have that. No one could.
Then finally, something popped up. He stared at stared at the code name. Phantom. Zipper was stunned that this had been managed as he had hidden his URL location well. He typed, How did you find it? It’s hidden under a double PA with a triple bounce.
Sorry buddy, but I have to say it is infantile. Maybe someday, I can advise you on something better to hide under.
Zipper felt like he’d just got slapped. He shook his head in wonder. Truly fucking amazing. Suddenly, he was like a dammed fan girl over a movie star.
I got a time for MG to talk to you. Phantom typed, I hope you don’t mind but I gave her your exact URL.
He stared. All day he’d looked with no real advancement and here he sat looking at this.
You there? Phantom asked.
Yes. Yes, he typed.
So any minute now.
He typed, are you sure?
I am.
Then phantom went off.
He could tell as his screen did some odd blip. Before he could wonder how this was done... he heard it.
PING!
There went his new laptop.
How in the hell? He wondered. Dammit, he felt like a ten year old now. He slid his chair over.
Zipper? The words typed out.
Yes. I am Zipper.
Cool name.
I guess? Had it for years.
Okay. Did you do something to stop it?
I tried. They all got together and are attempting to stop it. A few seconds went by as he waited for the response.
It may be too late.
Too late? He replied with anxious taps.
I cannot explain much. But I need to escape here. I have run out of time.
Zipper was entirely confused by this, so he typed, You are trapped where you are?
Yes, it is long story. But I will be trying to get free in the morning. It is my best shot.
Zipper felt some alarm at the words this person used. Trapped. Escape. Get free. Before he put any thought into it, he typed, we could help you.
Blank screen.
No response.
Then... No, I don’t want anyone else killed.
But you aren’t safe. He typed. You have helped us. Let us help you.
Again, a long ass pause as he waited for any reply. He moved his laptop with him as he wheeled over to the PC and typed, Phantom you there?
Then the laptop had another message from Manhattan Girl scroll across the screen, No one has ever cared about me.
This somehow had hit Zipper in the chest. Just who was this person? So good at hacking, yet a prisoner of some kind.
Are the men... Yuri and Deke safe? MG typed.
Zipper stared at the question on the screen. This MG cared about their safety but wouldn’t let anyone help her or him to be safe? Yes, for now. He typed.
His PC then blipped again. He turned his gaze from the laptop to his PC screen and stared at the words typed out.
What is it Zipper? Phantom wrote.
Now he had two conversations going and with the best hackers known in cyberspace. He typed to Phantom. Please help me find MG. He or she says they are in danger and are about to make an escape.
The laptop screen showed another message from Manhattan Girl, He says he will try again. They both will.
Zipper furrowed his brows as he replied on the laptop, Both?
They are partners. They both want those 2 men dead in the worst way.
Zipper wanted to ask how this person knew so much, yet was involved somehow. But he didn’t want to scare them off.
He looked over at his PC screen as he had an answer from the Phantom. It would be a bad thing. She wants to stay hidden. I cannot break that trust.
Zipper let out a huge frustrated breath. He had to get Phantom to help it would be the only way to find MG.
MG typed again on the laptop, After tomorrow, I won’t be able to get any more information. I plan on not being here any longer. I will be free or I will be dead while trying to get free. But they have set up a bomb somewhere. I just do not know where.
Zipper stared at the words. In his gut, he knew he needed to help this hacker. This Manhattan Girl who had gone out of her way to help Deke and Yuri’s despite the fact that she ... he paused. Phantom had just said SHE. Did Phantom know this was a woman for sure? God dammit, if it was... A woman who was trapped and maybe killed tomorrow morning, he couldn’t just let it happen.
He typed back to MG. Please let my MC help. We can do almost anything.
He knew she w
ould remain stubborn but maybe he could get Phantom to help. He typed on his PC keyboard, Listen Phantom. This MG says she might be dead in the morning. Please do the right thing here. We only have hours left.
A long pause with no reply from Phantom
He then typed to MG. Are you still there?
No answer.
She was gone, just like that. Dammit.
On his PC screen... An address appeared. Then this message from the Phantom.
IF you harm MG or cause her harm. I will take you down.
Zeta sat back from her laptop. This Zipper had offered to help her? She had never had anyone who’d offered. No one to care about her. Except her mom and that was all and very brief. Not that anyone else knew about her captivity. But Zipper had pleaded to allow them to help. Yes, yesterday, she had looked into Deke’s life and what she found had been puzzling, but mostly good.
Yes, he was a president of one of those Motorcycle Clubs, but his was the kind that seemed to only be doing legal stuff. She could find no hint of drug deals, guns, gang wars or anything of the like. Just a few news articles of some fires or some criminal that they had somehow battled and brought to justice. Then there was his wife. What Zeta read about her was astounding. She helped the homeless, the abused and broken people from the streets. The woman herself had been a foster kid and now had three of these centers called Redemption Houses and the trend had spread across America with more places opening up as Redemption type houses, run by other MC’s which in and of itself was amazing.
To her knowledge and what they showed in the news, biker gangs were usually violent with prison records and shootouts.
Not this one. The one Zipper had said would help her. The Sin’s Bastards MC. A bad name for a good group she figured. She had wanted so badly to say yes. PLEASE come get me. Please. But she knew she couldn’t. No. Boris was the head of a large syndicate here in New Jersey and she knew he would kill...had killed. He was boss here. He owned the entire block as well and possibly the next block over. People who had disobeyed him or refused him had disappeared never to be seen again.